What is the most memorable event that you have with Ariyana Convention Centre and why?

I have handled countless events of different kinds and sizes during the past 20 years at the Ariyana Tourism Complex. However the most memorable moments I ever encountered must be during the APEC Leaders Week 4th – 11th November in 2017. We had more than 60 concurrent sessions with little time in between for layout changes. My colleagues and I literally worked day and night to make sure we got everything prepared for the next sessions, the next afternoons and the next mornings. Despite having employed and trained over 2000 staff for the one week long event, manpower planning was crucial to ensure the right people were at the right place at the right time, doing the right things.

The weather wasn’t particularly favourable during this special week; the city was struck with a typhoon on the 4th November, just right after we made the arrangement for a 1,800-delegate sit-down lunch in the garden house. We had less than 4 hours in the morning to change from plan A to plan B, moving all operations indoor for service to be ready for lunch at noon. An unforgettable day indeed! Stress aside, I am proud to lead a team of passionate, positive and hard-working members, and we were directly serving the Heads-of-Delegates during this highly received event.

How do you ensure the signature 5-star service of Furama is present in every event – especially catering to thousands of delegates?

As a VTOS (Vietnam Tourism Occupational Skills Standards) trainer, I have helped train and develop the F&B workforce by the thousands to efficiently cater to high-profile and large-scale events. My most important accomplishment would be the successors who are always willing to go the extra mile to make sure everything is ready even if working through the night is required.